Swartland Derby
On Saturday Piketberg play Schoonspruit of Malmesbury in an FNB Classic Clash.
This year Piketberg may just be the strongest school side in the Boland. It has not been a good year so far for Boland schools with usually strong sides such as Drostdy and Swartland not performing up to their usual standard. Piketberg on the other hand have lost only to Strand in their seven matches. Their scalps include those of Despatch and Rondebosch Boys' High.
Schoonspruit have played 10 matches winning just four. One of those wins was a close one over Swartland but defeats by Oudtshoorn, De Kuilen George High and Sao Bras of Mossel Bay do not make for a successful season.
The only opponents they have in common with Piketberg are Weston.
Piketberg beat Weston 29-22; Schoonspruit lost to Weston 21-20.
Last year in the FNB Classic Clash nippy Schoonspruit beat big Piketberg 24-23 with a try in the last action of the match, Schoonspruit's fourth successive win over Piketberg in an FNB Classic Clash. This year, too, they will find Piketberg bigger and more muscular and they will again try to beat them with speed of foot and hand.
This year Piketberg have 10 players back from the squad for last year's match – Clyde May, TC Bindeman, Benna van der Westhuizen, Johannes Mostert, Gysbert Dippenaar, Christie van der Merwe, Divan Ungerer, Arno van Deventer, Erich Kankowski and Danie Visse.r
It could be a fascinating match.
Boland have just chosen three teams for trials. Piketberg have four players at trials – lock Christie van der Merwe, hooker Erich Kankowski, who interested the Sharks after the Tony Stoops Festival, Benna van der Westhuizen and Gysbert Dippenaar.
Two from Schoonspruit have been chosen for the trials – Cameron April and Cleo Adams.
Teams
Piketberg: 15. Marvin Pieters, 14. Ricardo de Villiers, 13. Roman Zaal, 12. Clyde May, 11. Juandré de Witt, 10. Evanne-Leigh Otto, 9. TC Bindeman, 8. Benna van der Westhuizen, 7. Johannes Mostert, 6. Gysbert Dippenaar, 5. Christie van der Merwe, 4. Divan Ungerer, 3. Arno van Deventer, 2. Erich Kankowski (captain), 1. Danie Visser
Replacements: 16. Derick van der Merwe, 17. Jan-Daniël Roux, 18. Ruan Brand, 19. Leon Coetzee, 20. Nathan Williams, 21. Addie Grobbelaar, 22. Corné Rossouw
Schoonspruit: tba
Date: Saturday, 17 May 2014
Kick-off:
Venue:
Expected weather: Clear with a breeze, a high of 21°C, dropping to 11°C.
